Berry picking machine



April 14, 1936.

H. J. FRANKLIN BERRY PICKING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l PSINVENI'U {-M I J A-H s April 1 1936. H. J. FRANKLIN 2,037,624

BERRY PICKING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1954' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVEN' IEIFKI l Ai+ys April 4, 1936- H. J. FRANKLIN BERRY PICKING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 8 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for picking berries, such as cranberries. The only machines now available on the market for this purpose are complicated and heavy anid, consequently, their cost is high. Furthermore, the cost of harvesting when using these machines, considering their initial cost, the cost of upkeep and their picking capacity, is not sufiiciently low as compared to the cost of harvesting by hand picking to warrant their use by many cranberry owers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a berry picking machine which can be made at a lower cost and which will possess a greater l5 picking capacity than machines heretofore available.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: in which,

Fig.1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the invention; I Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail side elevational views of a portion of the machine illustrating different positions assumed during operation;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fi 3;

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken on the lines 6-6 and 1-1 respectively of Figs. 3 and 4; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating a modified construction.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. 40 Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art. 45 As illustrated in the accompanying drawings a machine embodying the invention may comprise a main frame In in which an axle II is mounted for rotation. Fixed upon one end of the axle II is a drive Wheel l2 and its other end .30 is connected through a differential D to an axle l3 upon which is fixed a drive wheel M. A motor I5 of the internal combustion type is suitably mounted upon the frame ID. A pinion I1 is fixed'upon the crank shaft IQ of the motor -55-and is adapted to engage a gear 20 fixed upon a shaft 2| rotatably mounted in the frame ID. A gear 22 is fixed upon the shaft 2| and is adapted to engage a gear 23 for driving the drive wheels I 2 and I4 through the differential D.

Brackets 26 and 21 are suitably fixed upon -5 opposite sides of the frame It). A shaft 28 is mounted for rotation in each of the brackets 26 and 21. Upon each of the shafts 28 is fixed a gear 30 adapted to engage a gear 3| upon the shaft 2| which is driven through a clutch l8. 10 A cam shaft 33 is rotatably mounted in suitable hearings in the outer end of each of the brackets 26 and 21. Fixed upon each cam shaft 33 is a sprocket wheel 35. The sprocket wheels 35 are driven through chains 36 by sprocket wheels 15 31 fixed upon the shafts 28.

A pair of disks 38 and 39 are suitably fixed upon each of the shafts 28. Each of the disks 38 carries a pin 4 adapted to engage a slot 4| in an arm 42 which is pivotally mounted upon the axle 20 ll. Likewise, each of the disks 39 carries a pin 5 adapted to engage a slot 44 in an arm 45 which is pivotally mounted upon the axle One end of each of the arms 42 is connected through a universal joint 46 with the arm 41 25 and one end of each of the arms 45 is connected through a universal joint 49 with an arm 50.

The arms 41 and 50 extend forwardly over the cam shafts 33 and rest upon cams 52 and. 53 respectively carried by said shafts. 30

Rakes 48 and 5| are secured to the other ends of the arms 41 and 58 respectively. Each of mounted and arranged in cam formation. The

disks 55 extend radially outward from the shaft 33 so as to provide guide flanges for the arms 41 and 50. Each of the arms 41 and 50 is provided with an intermediate portion having adjacent sections 51 and 58 of circular and rectangular cross section respectively for a purpose described hereinafter. The sections 51 taper gradually into the sections 58.

The pins 4 and 5 are so arranged upon the disks 38 and 39 as to cause the rakes 48 and 5| to reciprocate forward and rearward and to reach the corresponding points in their paths of travel at different times. The cams 52 and 53 are so arranged as to permit the rakes 48 and 5| to move downwardly when near the forward end of their strokes and to move the rakes upwardly as they are approaching the forward end of their strokes. 55

A bracket 6, suitable fixed upon the forward end of the frame I 8, carries a transversely extending trough 6| having front and rear walls 62 and 63. An idler roll 65 extends between the front and rear walls 62 and 63 near one end of the trough and is suitably mounted for rotation therein. A shaft 66 carrying a roll 6'! is rotatably mounted near the other end of the trough. The rolls 65 and 61 carry an endless conveyor belt 68. A shaft 13 is mounted for rotation in the walls 62 and 63 of the trough 6| and carries sprocket wheels 14 and '15. A sprocket wheel 69 is fixed upon the shaft 66 and is driven through a chain 10 from the sprocket wheel 74. The sprocket wheel 15 is driven through a chain '16 from a sprocket wheel 1| fixed upon a shaft 12 which is driven by suitable mechanism (not shown) from the motor l5.

A bracket 8| is suitably fixed upon the .rear wall 63 of the trough 6| and is provided with suitable bearings for rotatably supporting a shaft 83 upon which is carried a roll 84 for supporting one end of an endless bucket conveyor 85. The other end of the conveyor 85 is supported by a roll 86 fixed upon a shaft 81 which is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings in a bracket 88 fixed upon a shelf 89 extending rearwardly from the main frame In. A pulley 90 is fixed upon the shaft 81 and is driven by a crossed belt 9| from a pulley 92 fixed upon the axle The shelf 89 is adapted to support a receptacle, such as a box B, beneath the rear end of the bucket conveyor 85. A baflie l1 secured to the front wall 62 of the trough 6| extends obliquely over the conveyor belt 68 and serves to deflect berries from the conveyor 68 to the conveyor 85.

A bracket 93 having forked arms 94 and 95 is secured to the rear end of the frame I 0. A shaft 96 is mounted for rotation in the forked arms 94 and 95 and is provided with a collar 34 positioned between the arms 94 and 95 for preventing axial movement of the shaft. A wheel 91 is rotatably carried by the lower end of the shaft 96 and serves to support the rear end of the machine.

In the operation of the machine, it will be understood that the wheels l2 and 14 are driven from the motor |5 to move the machine and to operate the mechanism carried thereby. The rakes 48 and 5| are reciprocated forward and rearward and when the rake arms 41 and 50 are near the forward end of their strokes the cams 52 and 53 are moving so they are brought in contact progressively from their high point to their low point with the sections 5'! of the arms 41 .and 58 thus permitting the rakes 48 and 5| to dig down into the cranberry vines. Thereafter, the rakes 48 and 5| are moved rearward at a relatively rapid rate to strip the berries from the vines. While the rakes are moving rearward the arms 41 and 50 are in contact with a low point of the cams 52 and 53. As the rearward movement of the rakes continues they are raised. The momentum thus imparted to the berries causes them to be thrown on the conveyor 68. The conveyor 68 transports the berries toward the baffle 11 accommodate themselves to any irregularities of the ground or obstructions in the vines, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 5, and 6. The rakes are again returned to their normal substantially horizontal position when the sections 58 of the arms engage the cams 52 and 53 as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. As illustrated, the adjacent rakes 48 and 5| are of such a length as to overlap transversely their respective paths of travel and the outer rakes 48 and 5| are so positioned as to extend laterally beyond the path of travel of the drive wheels l2 and I4 so as to strip the berries from the vines in the path of the wheels. It will be understood that the mechanism is so arranged as to cause the rakes 48 and 5| to move through several cycles during one rotation of the drive wheels l2 and I4 and successive movements of each of the rakes 48 and 5| through the vines overlap so as to remove substantially all the berries as the machine travels forward.

Fig. 8 illustrates a construction which may be used in place of the cams 52 and 53 previously described and which comprises a cam 52 constructed similar to the cams 52 and 53 but loosely mounted upon the cam shaft 33'. The cam 52' is provided with a lug 18 adapted to be engaged by an arm 19 carried by a collar 88 fixed upon the cam shaft 33'. the cam 52' through half one revolution, that is, from the position shown in dotted line to that shown in full line, and the cam is moved another half revolution by the action of gravity.

In the operation of the machine embodying the construction shown in Fig. 8, the cam 52 is driven positively from the position shown in dotted line to that shown in full line as the rakes 48 and 5| approach the forward end of their strokes to bring the high point of the cam in contact with the rake arms and raise the rakes. The cam 52 then moves quickly due to the action of gravity from the full line position to the dotted line position, thereby permitting the rake arms to move from the high point to the low point of the cam and causing the rakes to dig down into the berry vines. As the rakes move rearward to strip berries from the vines and throw them on to the conveyor 68, thearm 19 moves toward the lug 18 so as to engage it and move the cam 52' from the dotted line position to the full line position as the rakes move forward.

I claim:

1. In a berry picking machine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism comprising a plurality of rakes, means for actuating said rakes to cause them to move in said path forward and then downward into the berry vines, rearward to strip berries from said vines and then upward and rearward toward their initial position to throw the berries onto said conveyor.

2. In a berry picking machine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism comprising a plurality of rakes, means for actuating said rakes to cause them to reciprocate forward and rearward along said path, means for causing the rakes to move downward into the berry vines and remain in a lowered position during the first part of their rearward movement to strip berries from the vines and then be raised as the rearward movement continues to cause the berries to be thrown onto said conveyor.

3. In a berry picking machine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism com- The arm 19 is adapted to drive prising a plurality of rakes, means for actuating said rakes to cause them to move in said path forward and then downward into the berry vines, rearward to strip berries from said vines and then upward and rearward toward their initial position to throw the berries onto said conveyor, said rakes being arranged so that the paths of travel of adjacent rakes through the vines overlap each other and overlap the path of travel of said chassis.

4. In a berry pickingmachine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism comprising a plurality of rakes, means for actuating said rakes to cause them to move in said path forward and then downward into the berry vines, rearward to strip berries from said vines and then upward and rearward toward their initial position to throw the berries onto said conveyor, and means for permitting said rakes to turn about an axis extending in the general direction of said path while the rakes move through the vines and thereafter causing the rakes to turn about said axis in the opposite direction an equal amount.

5. In a berry picking machine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism comprising a plurality of rakes, means for actuating said rakes to cause them to reciprocate forward and rearward along said path, means for causing the rakes to move downward into the berry vines and remain in a lowered position during the first part of their rearward movement to strip berries from the vines and then be raised as the rearward movement continues to cause the berries to be thrown onto said conveyor, said rakes being arranged so, that the paths of travel of adjacent rakes through the vines overlap each other and overlap the path of travel of said chassis.

6. In a berry picking machine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism comprising a plurality of rakes, means for actuating said rakes to cause them to reciprocate forward and rearward along said path, means for causing the rakes to move downward into the berry vines and remain in a lowered position during the first part of their rearward movement to strip berries from the vines and then be raised as the rearward movement continues to cause the berries to be thrown onto said conveyor, and means for permitting said rakes to turn about an axis extending in the general direction of said path while the rakes move through the vines and thereafter causing the rakes to turn about said axis in the opposite direction an equal amount.

'7. In a berry picking machine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism comprising a plurality of rakes, means operatively associated with each rake to reciprocate it forward and rearward along said path and to move upward near the rear end of its travel and downward near the forward end of its travel including a cam.

8. In a berry picking machine having a chassis movable along a desired path and a conveyor movable transverse to said path, the combination therewith of a berry gathering mechanism comprising a plurality of rakes, means for reciprocating each rake forward and rearward along said path, a freely rotatable cam for supporting each rake during its movement, and means for actuating said cams to'rotate the same a part of a revolution to raise the rakes while permitting the cams to complete their revolutions by the action of gravity.

HENRY J. FRANKLIN. 

